What is meant by "staking" the locator pin and how is it done?
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What is meant by "staking" the locator pin and how is it done?
Very interesting thread
Im in this same boat. I think on a hot rod with extreme cylinder temps it's s good idea to top pin. But, I've never lost a side pin yet ( my tight wod self too cheap to get top pinned). I think heat and age is the culprit, as long as you don't run em hot, lean, and run um for 20 years you prob. won't have a problem. I do believe it's good insurance, but hasn't bit me yet.
Having quite a few OMCeizures thru the years, I acquired a drum of dead or dieing pistons. Of those that dropped or loosened the locating pin it is my opinion ;-) that most if not all were caused by quick temperature change. Dissimilar metal expansion/contraction. Example: not warming up the engine thoroughly before accelerating hard. I now make it a point to drive below 4,500 for a few minutes. Also after flogging it running at a slower speed to allow it to circulate water to cool the block and let the pistons cool off also.
Doing WOT plug checks is an example.
If the cooling system was a closed loop rather than all the water draining out as soon as the engine stopped, the water/block/pistons/locator pins would cool gradually.
I have had staked pin pistons fail and top pinned pins push the weld up. The only way...again IMHO ;-) , is to bend the pin so it would have to wallow out the whole hole to fail.